Fingering steel for guitars



July 1941- L. M. McDANlEL ETAL k 2,248,542

FINGERING STEEL FOR GUITARS Filed May'ZO, 1940 any].

I VENTOR ATTO R N EYS Patented July 8, 1941 UNITED STATES ATE? FHQE

FINGERING STEEL FOR GUETARS Loyd M. McDaniel and John H. Herring, Daytona Beach, Fla.

1 Claim.

This invention relates to fingering steels for guitars and like musical stringed instruments, and its general object is to provide a steel that is primarily designed for use in playing the socalled steel or Hawaiian guitar, without possibility of dropping the steel while in use, in that it includes a ring to be worn on the finger of the player, the ring being swively connected to the string receiving bar, for supporting the latter from the finger, thus it will be seen that our steel eliminates the necessity of setting up a firm or tight gripping action against the bar and thereby prevents strain and fatigue, not only to the fingers, but to the hand in its ontirety, and the swiveled connection. of the ring allows for free movement or the bar to any position with respect to the strings.

A further object is to provide a fingering steel for guitars and the like, that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and extremely efiicient in use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, referonce will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating the manner of using our steel.

Figure 2 is a side View of the steel.

Figure 3 is an end view thereof.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the letter A indicates the neck of a guitar or the like, B the frets thereof, and C the strings along which our steel is moved in the usual manner.

The steel includes a solid relatively narrow cylindrical bar i made from metal or any other suitable material, and of course is of a length greater than the width of the neck, so that all of the strings can be engaged by the bar, even when the latter is moved at an angle with respect to the length of the rows of strings, in order to bring about the necessary oblique positions of the bar while playing the instrument, as will be apparent.

Disposed transversely within the bar adjacent one end thereof is a threaded bore that terminates beyond the longitudinal center thereof and opens through its rounded surface to threadedly receive the shank 2 of a post, the threaded portion of the shank being of a length to completely fill the bore and formed on the shank is an enlarged portion providing a head 3, to reinforce the outer portion of the post which terminates in a reduced fiat outer end providing a seat.

The head 3 has axially arranged therein a threaded here i that extends through the reduced outer end portion of the post for receiving a kerfed headed screw 5 for securing a continuous circular ring 6 mounted on the seat, as best shown in Figure 4. The screw is of greater length than the depth of the threaded bore within the head, so as to provide ample space between the head of the screw and the seat to allow for free swivel movement of the ring which is of ample size for receiving the index finger, as clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawing.

From the foregoing description and the disclosure in the drawing, particularly Figure 1, it is believed that the use of our steel will be obvious, but it might be mentioned that the ring is placed upon the index finger for supporting the steel therefrom, the thumb is positioned on one side of the bar and the middle finger is engaged along the length thereof, thence the bar is moved along the strings in the usual manner while playing the instrument, as will be apparent.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What we claim is:

A fingering steel for use in playing stringed musical instruments, comprising a solid relatively narrow cylindrical bar having a threaded bore extending transversely thereof for the major portion of its diameter adjacent one end, a post including a shank threaded in the bore for securing the post to the bar, a relatively large head formed on the shank for reinforcing the outer portion of the post and terminating in a reduced outer end having a fiat face providing a said head having a threaded bore therein, a continuous circular ring mounted on the seat, a her-fed headed screw threaded in the latter bore for securing the ring to the post, and said screw being of a length greater than its bore to space the head of the screw from the seat to allow for free swivel movement of the ring.

LOYD M. MCDANIEL. JOHN H. HERRING. 

